SCHOLARLY JOURNALS

AND ARTICLES

BY: JENNY FUDICKAR

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What are scholarly journals?

Scholarly journals report research findings on specific topics.

Webster's Third International Dictionary defines scholarly as:

1) concerned with academic study, especially research, 2) exhibiting the methods and

attitudes of a scholar, and 3) having the manner and

appearance of a scholar.

Journal Articles vs. Popular Articles

Scholarly PopularWritten by professors, experts Written by journalists

Lengthy: 10-30 pages Brief: 1-5 pages

Extensive bibliography Usually no bibliography

Plain, few graphics Colorful, lots of graphics

Little advertising Advertising

Technical, specialized language Nontechnical, accessible language

Audience: scholars Audience: laypeople

Report research findings Entertain and provide information

Source: Stebbins, L.F. (2006). Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age (p. 44). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Using a database to find scholarly articles

Types of Databases

Large multidisciplina

ry aggregators

Federated search engines

Specialized article

databases

Enormous and diverse range

Used to search many types of

databases

Focus is on a Specific

discipline or subject

Full text is usually

available

Citations provided; full

text is available some

Searching a Database

• Boolean Searching• Truncations• Limiting

• Descriptors• Phrases• Publication Date• Language• Publication Type

Boolean Searching

Research question: Does homework help students learn?

1. Break your search into major conceptsConcepts: student and homework

2. Develop synonyms for each conceptstudent: scholar, learnerhomework: training, research

3. Combine synonyms with “or” and different concepts with “and”. This is known as Boolean searching.

Boolean Searching, cont.

Synonyms are linked by “or”

Different Concepts are

linked by “and”

Boolean Searching,cont.

When the database only has one search box, use “nesting”. Nesting uses

parentheses to indicate which searches should be performed first.

(student or scholar or learner)

and

(homework or training or research)

Truncations

Use the truncation symbol “*” to retrieve plurals and other word endings.

Type: child* to retrieve child or children

Type: adolescen* to retrieve adolescent or adolescence or adolescents

Limiting

Databases have pull-down boxes that allow the searcher to ‘limit’ the search in different ways. An example is at the right.

Limiting, cont.

The searcher can limit a search by any of the following in most databases: Subject heading Descriptor Phrases Year Published Language Publication Type

Locating Articles

There are 3 ways to search for an article using a database.

The first way is to use a full-text database. This is the most convenient because it will connect the searcher to the article immediately online.

Locating Articles, cont.

The second way is to search an article database and click on the linking symbol for an individual article entry. It may say “Get It” or “Find It”. This will take the searcher to an online article or give a call number for the print version in the library.

Locating Articles

The third way is to search an article database and then check the library catalog.

Evaluate Articles

Is the article scholarly?

Written by professors, experts

Lengthy: 10-30 pages

Extensive bibliography

Plain, few graphics

Little advertising

Technical, specialized language

Audience: scholars

Report research findings

Check the following when looking for a scholarly article.

Take a

Look

Extra Review

If you need an extra review before you take your quiz,

click here. Otherwise begin your quiz on the next slide.

Articles written by journalists are:

Scholarly Articles

Popular Articles

The glossy covers on these are meant to attract people at the supermarket check-out counter:

Scholarly Journals

Popular Magazines

Articles that use technical, specialized language to report research findings will be found in:

Scholarly Journals

Popular Magazines

 Brief, 1-5 page articles with no bibliography will be found in a :

Scholarly Journal

Popular Magazine

These are usually colorful with lots of graphics and advertisements:

Scholarly Journals

Popular Magazines

Articles that attract scholars are popular articles?

True False

An article with few graphics and little advertising is a scholarly article?

True False

A lengthy article written by a professional in the field is a popular article?

True False

Look at the article then answer the question. This is a scholarly article?

True False

Review the video and then answer true or false.

True False

How did you do?

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References

Bussert, K. (Producer). (2008). Research minutes: How to recognize and find scholarly articles [video]. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Library. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill20.html

Gove, P. (Ed.). et al. (1993). Webster’s third new international dictionary (unabridged). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Stebbins, L.F. (2006). Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

The Department of English at Purdue University includes several images of their journal Modern Fiction Studies on their website (http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/mfs/).

The Journal of the American Medical Association includes a picture of their journal on their website (http://jama.ama-assn.org/).

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Chambers Library website provides tutorials on a variety of subjects that relate to library usage like ‘Finding Articles’ (http://library.uco.edu/sp/mod4/index.html).

Thompson, B. (2008). Because I said so. Scholastic parent & child, 43.